Game apparatus.



G. J. DORSEY. GAME APPARATUS. urmonzon FILED r212. 25, 19os. RENEWED APR. 18, 1910.

; 9'73,484 I I Patented o t. 2 5, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. DORSEY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed February 25, 1908, Serial No. 417,782. Renewed April 18, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. DORSEY, a resident of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cushioned-ballreturning-apparatus for playing games and to longitudinal surface projectile boards. Its object is to provide a simple, economically constructed board for playing ball games.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention and forms a part of the s1: ecification,-Figure l is a plan view of the board, showing one ball in a guiding way or groove, and other balls held inoperative by springs; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3, 3 and including a counting pin; Figs. 4 and 5 are partial sections of a board showing different forms of way or groove, and diiferent forms of rolling device; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a small part of a board on anenlarged scale, and Fig. 7 is a section on line 7, 7 of Fig. 6.

Numeral 1 denotes a board preferably made of wood and providedwith parallel grooves, slots or ways 2 having each an elastic or spring cushion 3 at its ends, which cushions are intended for the return of balls, but also serve to deaden the sound of the impact of the projectile. Soft rubber is a suitable material for these ball-returning cushions.

4; denotes a transverse flange, rim or backing adjacent the cushions. This or a similar rim may extend about the entire board. As shown the sides of the rim are of less height than the ends.

The central groove or channel is separated from another on either side by a bar, strip, ridge or part having spaces or sections marked substantially as shown and conveniently being numbered 5 to 30 (by fives) and duplicated in reverse order.

5 denotes marks or dead lines separating the spaced numbered sections of the bars from the end portions thereof.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 556,238.

6 indicates slight depressions in the bottom of the ways or grooves which may be used if desired to determine more exactly the resting place of a ball propelled lengthwise in a way thereby avoiding disputes, these resting places being regularly placed with respect to boundary lines of the numbered sections, and with respect to the sectlons.

The board may if desired comprise separate side extensions 7 covered with baize, billiard cloth, or other approved covering. These side pieces, if separate pieces are used, can be held in grooves 8 formed in the body of the board and in side bars of the rim as shown.

10 denotes holes in one side of the board or extensions, each adapted to receive a ball, which can be held therein when not in use by a spring 11 having a coil at 12 and bent to form a handle 13 whereby it may be manipulated to engage the free end of the spring in a hole l l in the ball. By this or like means danger of the loss of the balls when not in use will be diminished.

l5 denotes a tally block having marked divisions each provided with a hole or other means for securing a counting peg 16. These divisions may be marked in arithmetical series, as for example, 5, 10, 15, etc.

The balls, cushions, board and other parts may be made of any desired suitable materials, and the dimensions may be varied greatly without departing from the principles of construction and operation. But it should be noted that the parallel grooves are in permanently fixed relation, and that the corresponding indicating marks or numbers for the three grooves are all in the same planes transverse to the grooves. It should be noted also that in the preferred construction two rows of indications, one row between the central groove and each of the side grooves, only are necessary to give the three grooves their indicating marks.

In Fig. 4 are shown disks to roll instead of balls, and the ways are straight sided channels or grooves. A single cushion 3 is shown in position to serve more than one groove.

In Fig. 5 the groove flares and so do the sides of the rolling device.

Obviously the apparatus is not limited to any particular use, but a game for which it is well adapted is played by two persons who play alternately, the first playing two balls and the second playing one in the following order. The first player starting his first ball in a groove on one side at or back of any agreed point, as for example, the dead line 5, projects it with sufiicient force to rebound from the cushion at the end of the way and come to a stop opposite one or another of the lines of the marked sections, but preferably coming to rest opposite one of the sections and within two of said marked lines. The second player then does the same in the other outside way, using such force as to leave his ball as nearly adj acent his opponents as practicable. Thereupon the first player rolls a third ball, that is, his second, in the central way with the purpose of landing it as near as practicable to the ball which he first rolled. Of the two balls first rolled that one is the winner which is nearest the resting place of the last rolled or deciding ball. If the winning ball is entirely within a marked section the winning player plugs on his tally board the number of points marked on that section. But if the winning ball rests at a dividing line between sections he only plugs the difference between the two adjacent numbers, that is, he counts 5. If either ball played comes to rest back of a dead line the player of it loses 5 and plugs reversely on his tally board. And in case of the two-ball player, if his first ball was played so as to rest in position to count, and his second (deciding) ball comes to rest back of the dead line, he must lose 5 for the first ball also, or 10 in all. If the deciding balls rests directly between the other balls neither player counts. The player who first reaches the end of his tally board by thus adding winnings and subtracting losses wins the game.

The players stand at opposite ends of the board and, by preference, have each a tally block at his end of the board at his right hand. A plurality of grooves and balls is required, and it may be noted that the several balls rest in their respective grooves after projection until the count is ascertained by observation of their relative situations.

I am aware that a bar or board provided with a single groove having at one end an elastic cushion, and at the other a series of pockets has been proposed; and I am also informed that a single-groove bar or board provided with a ball-starting line at its center, and with spaces numbered on its side edge is old, and neither these devices nor any combination of them are of my invention hereinafter pointed out.

Every ball played must strike the cushion opposite its starting point. In some cases the play may be varied by requiring the balls to strike both cushions in their grooves.

I am aware that a piece or strip provided with a groove and with an elastic cushion adapted to cause the return of a ball rolled in the groove has been proposed, and such device is not of my invention, which comprises a plurality of parallel grooves separated by marked bars, as herein set forth. lVhen desired a rod, cue, or the like can be used to propel the projectile. A round or circular projectile is preferred, but those that are angular could be used, the grooves being correspondingly shaped.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is,-

1. A game device adapted for two players with three balls and comprising a. board having three separate parallel, contiguous, ball' receiving grooves in permanent fixed relation to each other, each end of each of said grooves being closed by a ball-returning cushion, there being like indicating marks for all the grooves and in common planes transverse to the length of the grooves, whereby such marks aid in comparing the positions of balls in said three grooves.

2. A game device adapted for two players with three balls and comprising a board having three separate parallel, contiguous ballreceiving grooves in permanent fixed rela tion to each other, each end of each groove being closed by a ball-returning cushion, there being a row of like indicating marks between the middle groove and each side groove, whereby two rows of such marks only are required for the three grooves and all the grooves are equally well marked, all as set forth.

3. In a game board, seats, and springs secured to the board adjacent to the seats, each spring having a straight free end adapted to enter a hole in a ball and press such ball into its seat.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. DORSEY. WVitnesses IVILSON J. CARROLL, HUGH A. NORMAN. 

